What’s in a Name?

The curious challenge of trying to describe Prem Rawat

Prem Rawat: Photo courtesy of TimelessToday

I first heard about Prem Rawat in 1971. He was 13 then and known as “Guru Maharaji.” I was 23 and known as “Ditty.”

A long-haired seeker of Truth at the time, I was astounded by what this young boy from India had to say and how he said it, stunned by his clarity, wisdom, and ability to engage my attention in such a heart-opening way.

Now it is 53 years later. He is 66 and I am 76. I am still astounded by him.

Guru

In the early days, I used to refer to him as a “Guru” — a Hindi word that translates as “the dispeller of darkness and revealer of light.”

I liked that word a lot. It had a nice ring to it and satisfied my need to think of myself as a deep soul on the spiritual path.

But soon it became clear to me that this word carried too much baggage, conjuring up stereotypical images of the East — incense burning, saffron robes, and little red dots on the forehead.

Q&A session with Prem Rawat in Australia, 2015. Photo courtesy of TimelessToday

My experience of Prem Rawat was none of these. But it didn’t matter what I thought. The real deal was how my family…